Return to > Techniques > Photography gallery.

The Municipal House Prague - Exercise in recovering detail from deep shadow.

Medium:Digitally remastered photograph

Exercise in recovering detail from heavy shadow

Subject - The Municipal House Prague.

System - CS4.11

The left hand image was created from three seperate photographs using photostich.

The result represents a verticle panorama and functions in the same way.

 

1. The perspective tool was employed to correct the paralax, to restore the verticals.

2. The exposure and tone of each section was adjusted to unite the image as one.

The right hand image was made to restore the detail in the dark high contrast shadows.

1. First use the Shadows and Highlights tool fully extended. Adjust the Shadows amount,

then the tonal width, followed by the midtone contrast.

2. Next go to Selective Colour (image - adjustments) and play with the neutrals and

whites. The aim is to creat a good contrast in the tones without making the shadow

areas too dark or bleaching out the light and white areas. This is to restore the tonal

balance of the original colour image. At this stage the colour image can be the final

result.

 

3. Now we come to a very interesting experiment.

Go to image - adjustments, and select invert. You will be amazed at the colours that

now appear. Open Hue and Saturation and adjust the saturation with each

separate colour to enhance further detail in the colour negative image.

You are using the negative image to find detail that would otherwise be hard to see.

The colour effects will be dramatic but concentrate on detail.

4. Now select Cynotype in Hue and Saturation - the image will go to a tinted

monochrome which is in itself very attractive.

5. Return to image - ajustments, select equalize.

6. Select image - adjustments - Invert and watch the magic.

 

7. Return to shadows and highlights - shadows amount, tonal width, then

midtone contrast, to further refine the delequate balance of the tones and restore

more detail in the shadows.

8. Finally gently massage the detail with the burn tool set at 5% in the extreme light

    areas to further define the detail inside the dome, mouldings, lettering around the

    procenium arch and enhance the contrast in the foregroun iron work.

 

Now, compare the two images and see the painting detail within the shadow areas

and the facade beneath the procenium. You can also experiment with different

layer styles to further enhance the luminosity of the image or create special effects.